Apparatus for continuously cooling liquids, including liquefied fats, oils, or the like



Dec. 30, 1947. H. L. MURRAY 2,433,475 APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUSLY COOLING LIQUIDS INCLUDING LIQUEFIED FATS, OILS, OR THE LIKE Filed Feb. 15, 1945 Patented Dec. 30, 1947 2,433, 17.51 umrso STATES. PATENT" OFFICE APPARATUS FOR CONTINUO'USLY COOLING LIQUIDS, INCLUDING LIQUEFIED FATS, OILS, OR THE LIKE Henry Lamont Murray, Auckland, New Zealand,

assignor to Murray Deodorlsers Limited, Auckland, New Zealand, a company of New Zealand Application February 15, 1943, Serial No. 476,024 In New Zealand March 18, 1942 6 Claims. (Cl. 62-114) This invention relates to apparatus of the continuous fiow type for, cooling liquids capable of treatment; by continuous flow.

While the invention has been primarily devised with the object of cooling liquids or liquefied substances of a congealable nature, it will be clear from the following description that the invention has application to the-cooling of liquids of a noncongealing nature.

In cooling congealable liquids or liquefied substances of a congealing nature in apparatus of the continuous flow type, difilculties are experienced, the chief of which possibly is the fact that during cooling treatment the substance is apt to congeal on the cooling surface thus partially insulating same with the resultant impairment of the cooling efliciency of the apparatus.

Further, particularly in the case of congealable substances owing to the adherence of a certain portion thereof to at lea-st some of the parts of the apparatus contacted during treatment, it is desirable to provide a construction of apparatus which is capable of ready dismantling at least to an extent suflicient to enable substantially all those portions subject to contact with the aforesaid liquid to be cleaned and decontaminated adequately as may be required.

According to the present invention, an apparatus is envisaged which will substantially prevent the treated liquid congealing on the cooling surface, thereby greatly increasing efiiciency and enabling continuous operation over long periods without any material reduction in hourly capacity. Further the apparatus involved has the additional advantage that during the cooling treatment not only is the liquid excluded substantially from contact with the atmosphere, but as the process is carried out in darkness liquids susceptible to light are protected therefrom. The

apparatus may be made of any approved material such as stainless steel if the liquid to be treated must be protected from metallic contamination.

Itis known in the art of cooling liquids or the like that it is advantageous to spread the liquid in a thin film over the cooling surface to effect more rapid heat transference with resultant speedier cooling, but, so far as we are'aware. known methods do not deal effectivel with the problem of congealment and resultant partial insulation of the cooling surface in continuous flow systems.

While the present invention contemplates the application of the liquid or liquefied substance in a thin film to the cooling surface in its passage through the apparatus, an essential and characteristic feature of the present invention resides in the fact that during its fiowthrough the apparatus, the liquid has applied to it a further or superimposed kinetic force which ensures that said liquid will continuously-positively and turbulently be swept against and over the cooling surface.

The liquid fiows through a space formed between surfaces, at least one of which is a cooling I surface, and during its passage therethrough is subjected to external force adding to the movement of the liquid,thereby engendering .continuous and bodily movement of the particles of the liquid to and from said surfaces, thereby ensuring very rapid transfer of heatfrom the liquid to the cooling surface. The turbulent movement of the liquid mass engendered by said kinetic frictionensures that:

(a) In the case of-all liquids, the molecules will be afforded substantially the maximum opportunity to discharge their heat because of their continuously repeated contact with the cooling surface;

(b) In the ,case ofcongealable or viscous liq-,

uids, those particles which tend to congealon or adhere to the cooling surface will be continuously displaced and retained in the mass of liquid.

The rapid heat transference results in more speedy cooling than would be possible, if reliance were placed merely on the normal flow of theliquid through the container whether bygravity or D p Broadly speaking, therefore, the invention comprises apparatus for carrying out a method of con tinuously cooling liquids, including liquefied fats, oils or the like, comprising continuously gravitating or pumping in a thin stream the liquid to be cooled through a container in a space formed against and over'the coolingsurface to (a) substantially preventc'ongealable particles (if any) from adhering to said cooling surface, and (b) intensify movement of: the particles within the liquid to assist rapid heat transference from said particles to said cooling surface. A So far as the."apparatu'sl 'is' concerned, the invention may be said to comprise an apparatus for continuously cooling liquids, including liquefied,

fats, oils or the like, comprising a closed container, a liquidinlet andan .outlet therefor, a

cooling surface within said container, means to continuously cool said surface and power actuated means within. saidvcontainer operable to ensure that as said liquid passes through said conable particles (if any) from adhering to said cooling surface, and b) intensify movement of the particles within the liquid to assist rapid heat transference from said particles to said cooling surface. r

The invention will now however be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate the preferred constructional embodiment thereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a partially sectioned elevation of the apparatus,

Figure 2 is an end elevation thereof, and

Figure 3 is a sectional end elevation on the line A-B of Figure 1.

The cooler apparatus comprises an outer cylindrical shall I and an innercylindrical shell 2 (of approved material having regard to the liquid to be treated) disposed horizontally and rigidly one within the other, there being an annular jacket space 3 between these two shells and 2 through which the cooling agent is adapted to flow, these two shells and 2 having closed inner ends 4 and 5 united at their centers and shell is connected to suitable standards 6 and 6a which are secured to base means 1, a flange 9 connecting the outer ends of the shells and 2 so as to close the jacket space 3 at such end, there being an open outer end 8 within the shell 2 surrounded by said flange 3 while open end 8 is adapted to receive a removable cover l secured by such means as a series of hand clamps shells I and 2 at this end of the device being supported by standards I 2 and |2a passing down to the base means 1.

Within the annular jacket 3 between the inner and outer shells and 2, there are baiiie means |3 adapted to cause the cooling agent to pursue a circuitous route when travelling from the'inlet It to the outlet |and also to contact during travel the inner end 5 of the inner shell 2. The baille means may be of any suitable form such as a number of rings 6 forming complete circles within the jacket 3 except for small gaps H (see Figure 3), the gap I! of one ring being substantially oppositely disposed in relation to the gap H in the next ring I 8.

To provide a further and superimposed kinetic force for the purposes set forth, there is adapted for rotation within the inner cylindrical shell 2 a rotary cylindrical shell or drum l8 closely approaching said shell 2 throughout its length and being closed at both its ends l9 and 28, also closely approaching the removable cover l0 and the end 5 of said shell 2, there being an annular cooling space 2| surrounding the periphery of said drum l8 and spaces 2|a and 2|b at the ends thereof.

In the removable cover It there is a main outlet 22, preferably located on the periphery, for the liquid and also a draining cock 23, these being connected to the cooling space 2|, 2| 1), while the removable cover l0 has a central bearing 24 for rotatably carrying the axle or shaft 25 which extends through. the centre of drum l8 and pro- J'ects from the two ends thereof I3 and 20. The portion of the shaft projecting from the inner end of said drum I8 is adapted to engage within a socket or the like 26 formed in the end of the driving shaft 21,

This driving shaft 21 is supported by an outer bearing 28 secured to a standard 23 extending up from the base 1 and also by a glanded bearing 30 secured to the inner end 4 of shell I, the ar rangement of the socket 26 of shaft 21 being such that itvwill engage the projecting inner end 25a of shaft 25 of drum |8so as to transmit drive 4 to the latter while permitting slidable withdrawal of the inner end 25a therefrom as for instance by having the inner end 25a of shaft 25 of square cross section engaged within a square bore in socket 26.

In such glanded bearing 30 there is a cavity 3| around socket 26, said cavity 3| being connected to the cooling space 2|, 2 la and having the main liquid inlet 32 fitted thereto. Radial sweeping vanes or rods 33 are secured to the inner end I!) of drum 3 and project into the cooling space 2hr, .while a plurality of longitudinal sweeping rods 34 are disposed around the periphery of drum |8 in staggered relationship and project into the cooling space 2 l A suitable power drive for effecting rotation of the drum l8 at suitable speed is provided and, for

compactness, an electric motor 35 may be mount-' ed on base 1 below drive shaft 21, a suitable drive such as a belt and pulley 36 being furnished.

In use or operation, and assuming that the liquid to be cooled is a hot edible liquefied fat which, during the cooling process is liable to congealment, the rotary drum |8 will be set in motion and the cooling agent, such as cold water, will be circulated through the jacket 3 in contraflow to the longitudinal direction of travel of the fat as it passes through cooling space 2|.

The hot fat will be pumped or gravitated through the cooling apparatus, entering the main inlet 32 and the-cavity 3| of glanded bearing 30 to encounter the radial sweeping rods 33 on the l inner end IQ of drum l8 and be forced outwardly thereby into the cooling space 2| along which it flows in a spiral path while being cooled by contact with the inner shell 2.

The cooling 'of the fat by such contact will cause it to tend to congeal, but as the fat is within a cooling space 2|, 2| a swept continually by the sweeping rods on drum 3, said fat will remain in a sufficiently fluid state by the turbulence resulting from the added and applied ex- V ternal force to which it is subjected while travelling through the apparatus, the normal period of travel for a given mass of material undergoing treatment being about one minute in duration.

The rotation of the drum within the jacket sets up an intensified movement of the particles comprising the liquid while in transit. The effect of the sweeping rods 33 and 34 which approach very closely to the cooling surfaces 5 and 2 is to wedge the liquid through the clearance space and sweep the liquid positively against and over the cooling surface. This action is not specially sought at the end 20 as the liquid in space 2|b is already sufflciently cool, Sweeping rods need not therefore normally be used at this end.

The aforesaid action will cause all molecules of the liquid in transit to many times contact the cooling surface so-that every portion and particle of the mass of liquid is subjected to the cooling action so that most effective cooling is obtained by the intimate and repeated exposure of each particle to the cooling surface.

At the termination of operations, the remaining fat contained within the apparatus will be drained off as far as possible through drain cock 23 after which in the majority of cases it will be necessary to clean the apparatus to decontaminate same. This may be done merely by draining the water from the jacket and then melting out the residue of fat and substantially sterilizing the apparatus by passing steam thereeans clamps l I and the removable cover are removed, thus exposing the outer end 20 ,of the rotary drum 18 which because of its shaft 25 bein slidably engaged within the socket 26 of driving shaft 21 is free to be withdrawn from shell 2 thereby giving clear access to the interior surface and the outside surface of the cylindrical shell having one end preferably integral with the body portion of the container and the other end formed by a removable cover, a jacket disposed around the cylindrical shell and over the integral end of the container, a coolin agent inlet and outlet to said jacket, means within said jacket to cause the cooling agent to pursue a circuitous route in travelling from said inlet to the outlet, glanded bearing means extending from the integral end of the container, a bearing in the removable cover, a second cylindrical shell closed at both of its ends having a shaft projecting from said ends by which it is rotatably supported in such manner within the container as to leave a cooling space between its outer surface and the inner surface of the container, an inlet, an outlet and a drain to said cooling space, means secured to theouter surface of said second shell disposed at intervals apart and projectin into the said cooling space and closely approaching the container, one end of said shaft being removably 'journalled in the bearing in the removable cover, a drive shaft extending through the glanded bearing, power means for driving same and means removably coupling said drive shaft with plurality of longitudinal sweeping rods around the periphery of the last mentioned shell substantially as described.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means coupling the drive shaft to the firstmentioned shaft comprise a socket at the end of said driving shaft within the container, the shaft projecting fromthe end of the second mentioned cylindrical shell engaging in said socket substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.

4. An apparatus for continuously cooling liquids including liquefied fats, oils or the like comprising outer and inner cylindrical shells disposed horizontally and rigidly one within the other with a jacket space between the same, one end of each of said shells being permanently closed with a jacket space between said ends, a flange connecting the other ends of the shells to close the same and leave an open outer end to the inner shell surrounded by said flange, an

inlet and an outlet to said Jacket space, baiile means within the jacket space to cause the coolins agent to pursue a circuitous route in travelling through the jacket space, a removable cover fitted to said flange with a central bearing therein and a main outlet and a draining cock in the cover, a glanded hearing at the permanently closed inner ends of the shells with a driving shaft extending therethrough, the shaft bein supported at one end by an outer bearing and having a socket at its other end within a cavity at the inner end of said glanded bearing, a main inlet passing to said cavity, a third cylindrical shell with a shaft therethrough and extending movable cover, a cooling space between the outer surface of the third shell and the inner shell and a space between its closed end and the removable cover, radial sweeping vanes secured to the inner end of the third shell and a plurality of longitudinal sweeping rods around the periphery .of the third shell, standards for supporting the al l aratus on a base and power drive means for effecting rotation of the drive shaft and the third shell substantially as described.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein the power drive means for effecting rotation of the drive shaft and the last mentioned shell comprises an electric motor mounted on the base means with belt and pulley drive between same and the drive shaft substantially as described.

6. Apparatus for super-cooling congealable liquids while retaining them in liquid form, comprising paired, closely-spaced and substantially cylindrical members, the outer of which is adapted to serve as a refrigerating surface, while the inner member is mounted co-axially for rotation within said outer member, the two members at one end thereof, having generally like, convex curvature, a bearing socket in the stationary member for receiving the hub of the rotatable member and the two providing a hollow inlet for the liquid to be cooled, and opening into the space between the said two members, a set of generally radial vanes of substantial length, mounted along the convex face of the rotatable member and extending towards but short of theouter member, and a set of sweeps, each of length substantially less than that of the rotatable member, disposed in upstanding manner on the longitudinal periphery thereof, extending towards but short of the outer member and disposed lengthwise of the rotatablelmemberon the rotatable member, for sweeping and pressure-wedging the liquid against the refrigerating surface in substantially spiral manner as the body of liquid moves lengthwise of the paired members,

HENRY LAMONT MURRAY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Phelan Nov. 11, 1941 

